Skirt-gage.



L. V. WATKINS.

SKIRT GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 2.19I5.

1,21 3,313. A 'Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

s "Nimaia :'IIIIIIII @IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES LOU V. WATKINS, OF FORT WORTH. TEXAS.

SKIRT-GAGE.

Application led .Tune 2, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOU V. VA'rKIN-s, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Vorth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skirt-Gages, of which the' following is a specification.V

My invention relates to an improvement in skirt gages, the object being to provide a device simple in construction, inexpensive to make, and which will serve eiiectually to gage and guide in the marking of the length of a skirt from the floor, regardless of its width, while on the person or on a dressform, by either moving it once, or by the person moving with respect to it, as the case may be.

Another feature is its adaptation and application to sewing-machines to serve as a means for catching and holding garments as they fall from the machine, preventing their dropping upon the Hoor or against the parts of the sewing-machine, or necessitating their being held, which otherwise would be required with delicate fabrics liable to become soiled or stained.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in a base and two rims, one of which forms a part of the base, and the other adjustably connected therewith, with suitable means whereby it may be elevated to the height required, the movable rim having a scale thereon, and a clamp removably connected therewith for temporarily fastening the skirt to the rim, and by following which as a guide, thel skirt is marked at the height from the floor that it is desired the skirt i should hang.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a view in perspective showing the gage raised to its full height, and the springclamp removed and at one side thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan View; Fig. 3 is a view looking into the inside 0f the gage; Fig. 4 is a transverse section; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the pivotal connections in elevation; and Fig. 6 is a view showing the gage applied to a sewing-machine.

A is the base. This-is preferably in the form approximately of a half-circle, with a rim or flange l extending upwardly from its rounded edge.

The gage rim 2 is adjustably connected in any approved manner with the rim or flange l. In the illustrated form of the in- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917. serial No. 31,722.

vention, the adjustment of the gage rim is by means of the lazy-tongs 3, 3. These are in pairs, four pairs being shown, the members constituting each pair being connected at their centers by a pivot 4, and the opposite ends of each member of a pair connected to the rims l and 2 by pivots 5, 5, and the remaining two ends slidably connected with the rims by means of pulleys or rollers 6, 6, operating through the elongated slots 7, 7. Rods 8, 8, connect corresponding members of two adjacent pairs together, so that they operate in unison, and the thumb-nuts 9, 9, are connected with one member of each outer pair for the adjustment of the gage rim, which adjustment is accomplished by grasping the thumb-nuts between the fore-finger and thumb of each hand, and loosening the thumb-nuts and sliding them together toward each other to lower the gage, and from each other to raise it, after ywhich they are screwed tight to hold the gage rim in the adjusted position. The adjustment is deternliined by the gage l0, 10, just over the outer s ots.

A spring-clamp ll with rounded knobs l2, l2, on its ends is secured to the gage rim over the skirt, leaving enough space above it to mark along the edge of the clamp.

In the use of the gage, it is placed Vupon the floor, and the person having her skirt adjusted standing on the base plate. The gage rim is then raised to the desired height above the floor, say five inches, by moving the thumb-nuts to the points 5, 5, at the opposite ends, thus raising the gage rim approximately five inches above the iioor level. The skirt is then draped over the gage-rim, and the clamp is put around it and fastened to the gage rim, and, while the skirt is held, it is marked along the upper edge of the clamp. In this way one half the skirt .is marked. Then the gage may be moved around to the other side, or the person may turn half way around, when the operation is repeated. Afterward, to collapse the gage, the thumb-nuts are loosened, and it is compressed into compact form, bringing the adjacent edges of the two rims together, thus reducing the size of the gage to a minimum.

When used with sewing-machines, the hooks 13, 13, or other means of connection on the straight edge of the base are fastened to loops or other fastening means 14, 14C, on the lower side of the top of the sewing-machine, the gage thus forming a. basket (as shown in Fig. 6) detachably connected' collapsible and readily adjustable, it holds,

the slrirt tight, while marking proceeds, thus making it perfectly accurate in the gaging` or marking ot the skirt.

More or less slight changes might be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope oi the invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction herein set forth, but

I claim:

l. A skirt-gage comprising a semi-circular base and two slotted rims, one of which is part of the base, and the other adjustably connected thereto, members pivoted together in pairs, one end of which are pivoted respectively to the two rims, `and the opposite ends slidable in the slots tl1ereo1,and means connected with two of said members for adjustably fastening them at some point in said slots to regulate the height or' the adjustable rim.

2. A skirt-gage comprising a base and two slotted rims, one of which is a part of the ease, and the other adjustably connected thereto, members pivoted together in pairs, one end of which are pivoted respectivelyto the two rims, and the opposite ends slidable in the slots thereof, means connected with two of said members for adjustably fastening them at some point in said slots to regulate the height of the adjustable rim, and. a detachable clamp for clamping the skirt to one of the rims, and along the edge of which the skirt is marked to indicate its height from the iioor.

3. A skirt-gage comprising a base, a slotted rim or ange connected with one edge thereof, a slotted gage-rim, a lazy-tong connection between the two, a lazy-tongs comprising members in pairs pivoted together at their centers with one end of each pair pirotally connected with the two rims, and the opposite ends having pulleys or rollers slidably connected in the slots, means connecting one member of two pairs together, gages in proximity to two of the slots in the gage-rim, and adjustable thumb-nuts connected with one member of each outer bar adjacent to the gages, whereby the lazytongs are expanded or contracted by sliding the thumb-nuts toward or away from each other in their slots for regulating the adjustment or height of the gage-rim from the floor.

In testimony whereof anix my signature.

Mns. LOU V. VATKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for sive centsv each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents: Washington, D. C. 

